Bad suspension has brothers in need of a smooth ride

Joel Gould
Journalist
Joel is a journalist with 20 years of experience and since February, 2011 he has been the late reporter at The Queensland Times. Joel specialises in longer features and as the late reporter he chases all the breaking stories that unfold in the evenings. A die hard rugby league fan, Joel has been pushing hard for the Western Corridor bid to be admitted into the NRL.

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BROTHERS Adam Griffiths and Matt Potts need some extra community support to help them achieve their dream.

The Collingwood Park brothers have a fatal condition known as Duchenne muscular dystrophy and need a new special-needs van that their mother and full-time carer Anne Potts can drive them to medical appointments and other excursions.

Their present van is 12-years old and its failing suspension system means Adam, 30, and Matt, 22, feel every bump in the road - which is bad for their internal organs.

Family friend Karen Madders has a dream to see the brothers raise enough funds to purchase a new vehicle.

That is why she has entered the January "Sunsuper Dreams For A Better World" competition.

Members of the community can vote for the dream and each month Sunsuper gives out a $5000 grant to the dream with the most votes.

Karen has already helped raise $12,000 through the Everyday Hero program and other fundraisers. But that is well short of the money needed for a new van.

Adam said Karen "has put in a lot of work" and her caring attitude was much appreciated.

"We couldn't do this without her," he said.

Duchenne is caused by a gene mutation which results in progressive wasting of the body's muscles and paralysis.

The condition is terminal and the brothers have lost many friends to Duchenne already.

"It works its way through your lungs and heart, so you have to keep an eye on how it is progressing," Adam said.

"It is a slow progression but by the time I was 12 I was confined to a chair because I couldn't weight bear any more."

It is a slow progression but by the time I was 12 I was confined to a chair because I couldn't weight bear any more.

Both brothers are pursuing educations - Adam is doing graphic design and Matt is studying IT at TAFE. Anne said her sons were positive people but needed to be "out in the community".

"The van we have now is rough and it is the boys' dream to have a better vehicle to get around in," she said.

"We are doing it for them. There is nothing wrong with their minds. They are intelligent...but they need to be out and about."